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Introducing… The Bara Bara Band!
Combining folk influences with contemporary subjects, The Bara Bara Band are ready to introduce their modern twist on tradition with their forthcoming album The Seeds Inside (The Grapes Upon The Vine), out on 15th September 2017 via Singaround Records and available to pre-order now.
Taken from the album, lead single Plimsoll premiered on Folk Radio UK and is available to stream via the band's Soundcloud page now.
Beginning with the instantly catchy ‘Mists of Time’, the album takes you on a journey through a spectrum of folk, along the tributaries of the Thames, via the M25. Like all folk music, each track has an underlying story behind the band’s intricate musicianship and Ruth Jacob and Rupert Browne’s colloquial, warm lead vocals. From the politically charged lyrics of 'More and More' and 'All Look the Same' to their takes on traditional tales such as ‘Plimsoll', 'What Put The Blood' and 'The Barley & The Rye’, The Bara Bara Band effortlessly blend the new with the old to create a cocktail of feel-good folk. Ruth explains ”the album reflects traditions within music, how the old is contained inside the new and the new existed within the old.”
All the tracks on the album were either written by Ruth and Rupert or are reworks of traditional folk songs. Possibly the most striking song is an original arrangement of a broadside about the politician Plimsoll who, in the 1800s, canvassed for better safety on cargo ships where owners were sending sailors off to their deaths to cash in on insurance.
Over the past seven years, the band have gone from strength to strength. They have released two EPs as well as their debut album Escape From Clinch Mountain, receiving praise from the likes of Folk Radio UK, FATEA Magazine and Folk Words to name but a few. Rupert and Ruth also run their own folk club Tooting Folk, a firm favourite on the London live scene for the last five years.
Catch the band live at the at their album launch show, details below:
The Bara Bara Band are a collective who do not fear tradition, instead they embrace it with open arms, whimsical humour and touching melodies.
The Seeds Inside (The Grapes Upon The Vine) is out on 15th September 2017 via Singaround Records and available to pre-order now.
HVMM announce new single ‘Going Postal’ + London live date!
"...a ferocious blast of thundering
blues rock with a spine of steel."
- Classic Rock
"... a distinct, inspired swagger..."
- Gigslutz
Worcester’s apoplectic rockers HVMM are about to unleash their debut EP Talk To Me like I’m Dead on 1st September 2017 via ILA. It is available to pre-order now.
The band have just unveiled the next single to be taken from their EP will be Going Postal, as part of a double a-side single, out on 21st July 2017 via ILA. The single premiered on Classic Rock and is also available to stream via the HVMM Soundcloud page now.
Kicking-off with their ferocious previous single Lacerate, HVMM combine blues rock influences with eerie bass lines and melodic riffs to create something truly powerful. Lead singer Andy Teece’s sharp, distinctive vocal steals the show, sounding akin to the likes of Jack White or Rage Against the Machine’s Zach De La Rocha. Upcoming double a-side single Beggars and Thieves / Going Postal continue the band’s anachronistic and subversive themes with Beggars and Thieves slamming head first into unapologetic, heavy-laced rock and Going Postal’s impressively slick vocals from lead guitarist Ebony Clay complimenting Andy’s charged sound perfectly.
“Try limiting any preconceived ideas when listening to the tracks and enjoy them for what they may or may not be to you,” Andy explains and goes on to say, “or choose to get suckered in by some standard marketing bullshit to help lead you down the road like a two-year-old, needing constant guidance when learning to use a knife and fork”.
Having met as a result of an unexplained scuffle in a county pub, Andy and Sam Jenkins (drums) formed the band in 2015. Andy and Ebony then went on to meet as a result of Ebony approaching him in his favourite coffee shop and after a caffeine- induced conversation followed by alcohol, Ebony found herself in the band. Ebony then called upon her old friend Jack Timmis (bass) and the line up was complete. Although the band are still new to the scene, their irrepressible and unforgettable presence on the live circuit, which is epitomised by their relentless energy, has seen them become the first British act signed to US label ILA.
With Talk To Me Like I’m Dead there are no fucks given and HVMM are ready to share their raucous, terrifying sound with the rest of the world.
HVMM have also just announced they will be playing their first headline show at London's Sebright Arms on 22nd November 2017. You can also catch the band live at the following dates:
22nd July - Tramlines Festival - Sheffield - Tickets
2nd August - Robin 2 - Wolverhampton - Tickets
5th August - The Iron Road - Evesham - Tickets
2nd September - EP Launch - Marrs Bar - Worcester
22nd November - Sebright Arms - London - Tickets
Talk To Me Like I’m Dead is out on 1st September 2017 via ILA and it is available to pre-order now.
All Flags Are Grey’s debut single ‘Bare Bones’ out now!
"... pop at its most immediate..."
- Clash
"...dark, brutal honesty and haunting, hypnotic beauty..."
- Gigslutz
East London based Andrea Chamberlain and Leon Brown - aka All Flags Are Grey - have previously worked on musical projects together, and have now reconnected to create music to release their debut single. Bare Bones is out now via Seven Wishbones, and is available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
The poignant video for Bare Bones premiered on Gigslutz and is available to watch via the band's YouTube channel now.
The single is also available to stream via the band's Soundcloud page now.
Tackling ideas of addictive behaviour and self-inflicted loss, Bare Bones is about showing vulnerability and the feeling of isolation we all encounter at some point in our lives. An intense and cinematic creation, the track flows with pounding beats and the twinkling whirr of electronic melodies alongside Chamberlain’s beguiling, soulful vocals. It’s a truly enchanting sonic delight.
Not only is frontwoman Andrea Chamberlain a skilled artist and musician, she also has an impressive entrepreneurial spirit. She currently co-owns a boutique publishing company that’s partnered with a label in Japan, and has had numerous releases across Asia.
With their previous musical ventures receiving acclaim from the likes of MTV, NME and Kerrang!, All Flags Are Grey often explore ideas of the sexualisation and objectification of women in their work. Now, with this latest project, they hope to create innovative performance art, using visuals and film to enhance the poignant message that they convey through their music. Prepare to be utterly blown away!
Bare Bones, the debut single from All Flags Are Grey, is out now via Seven Wishbones, and is available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
Tom Hale releases debut EP ‘In The Night’!
"... oozing a romanticism akin to the likes of Richard Hawley, as Hale’s deep, impassioned vocals gracefully glide throughout”
- Gigslutz
Hailing from Barnsley, Tom Hale has spent the last six months writing and recording his debut EP In The Night, which is out now and available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
The video for title track In The Night premiered on Little Indie Blogs and is available to watch via Tom's YouTube channel now.
You can also stream the single, which premiered on Gigslutz, via Tom's Soundcloud page now.
Lead track In The Night is filled with sweeping, cinematic melodies that flow alongside Hale’s deep drawl and a soaring romanticism. Reminiscent of fellow South Yorkshire crooners Alex Turner and Richard Hawley, the track tells the story of a man falling in love in his dreams; it’s an epic, musically rich ballad filled with uplifting strings and an emotion-strewn power.
After fronting bands in the past, including indie-rockers ROOD, Hale has now decided to go solo, to discover his own unrestricted style. Inspired greatly by the work of composer Henry Mancini, he has written and produced the EP himself, and hopes to allure listeners with this imaginative and compelling collection of songs.
In The Night, the debut EP from Tom Hale, is out now and available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
The Anatomy Of Frank announce new single ‘Holy Mountain’!
"... a melancholic folk-rock
masterpiece."
- The Line Of Best Fit
"Some of the most inspiring melody arrangements & progressions."
- Impose Magazine
Virginia based folk-rock trio The Anatomy of Frank explore nostalgia, relationships and mortality with the release of their latest album South America, out on 1st September 2017 via Polar Islands. You can pre-order the album now via Bandcamp.
Ahead of the album's release, the band have shared their emotive new single Holy Mountain. The track premiered on The Line Of Best Fit and is also available to stream on the band's Soundcloud page now.
Having formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2010 as a five-piece, in 2015 the band found themselves in a state of disarray with the departure of two members. As a result, Kyle (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Bullis (keyboards) and Max Bollinger (drums) decided to re-orchestrate their sound and breathe new life into the band’s identity.
The band had a valiant ambition to record an album on all seven continents and South America is the result. With a combination of brass, keys, strings, solid harmonies and rich melodies throughout, this album is an instantly immersive experience. The first single, La Llorona, focusses on the complexities of relationships when desire becomes self-destructive. Lead singer Kyle Woolard’s soft, warm vocals and his intricate guitar plucking weave together effortlessly before a soaring choral line is introduced, shifting the song into an ethereal soundscape. Each offering on South America shows a different side to the trio, whether it’s the instantly catchy indie-rock style of ’Sunken Coast’ or the intimate musings of ‘Viteri’, this album captivates immediately with each starting note.
The band were set to begin recording in Ecuador, however the loss of a loved one inevitably affected their work. With support from family and friends, the trio found their strength and used their pain to produce their most poignant album to date. Now, The Anatomy of Frank are ready to spread their wings, performing at a number of festivals over the summer including Wilderness Festival and Camp Bestival to name a few.
Catch The Anatomy of Frank live at the following dates:
31st July - Castle Hotel - Manchester
2nd August - Paper Dress Vintage - London
3rd August - Wilderness Festival - Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
South America is out on 1st September 2017 via Polar islands and La Llorona is available to download via Bandcamp and stream on Spotify now.